Support for telephone hand set



Feb. 4, 1958 M. M. SANFORD 2,822,433

SUPPORT FOR TELEPHONE HAND SET Filed Nov. '12, 1954 JNVENTOR. MABL E M SANFORD 3 ,4 I M/ W I ATmR ers United States Paten This invention relates to a'device for supporting a'telephone hand set on the body of a person and in a position for use and one of the main objects of the invention is the provision of a device that will so support the hand set so as to enable said person to freely usethe hands and head without causing the hand set to'be dislodged or to move out of a position in which said person can properly use the hand set for carrying on a conversation.

lease the hand set so that it will either fall or shift out of position.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a support for a telephone hand set that is adapted to hold the hand set in a comfortable position for use and in which position the hands and arms are left freefor use and the head can be moved without dislodging the hand set from a position lIl'WhlCh the same can'be efiiciently used for carrying on a conversation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a hand set support on which the telephone hand set can bequickly supported for use at either ear of the user Without taking apart 'the support'or any'portion thereof, and which support is constructed was to be easily and quickly placed on a person for supporting the hand set in a position in which the weight of the handset is so distributed so as not to place a noticeable strain on the person or an unbalanced condition.

Another object of the invention-is the provision of a telephone hand set support that is readily adjustable for application onto persons of different size and for supporting a hand set for use at either ear of the person without strain on the person and leavingthe hands and head free for movement independently of the hand set.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a small view of the telephone hand set carried on a support that, in turn, is on the body of a person.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational viewv of the support for the hand set.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational'view of the support of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional -view taken along line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is =an---enlarged"elevationalwiew of the hand set bracket or holder that is carried on the support that, in turn, is on the body of a person.

In detail, the conventional telephone hand set is gen erally indicated at 1 in Fig. 1, and which hand set has an elongated handle 2 that is generally triangular in cross sectional contour, as indicated by the dot-dash lines 2 in Fig. 2. At one end of the handle 2 is the conventional receiver 3 and at the other end is the usual transmitter 4.

2,822,433 Patented Feb. 4, 1958 The portionof the support thatactually:engages'xthe handle 2 of the hand set comprisesa base plate .5'(- Fig..=5) from one .edge of which a single spring arm'6projects to one side of said plate. This arm is bentto form ailaterally opening recess 7 in one side inwhich a .cornerwof the handle 2 is adapted to fit (Fig. 2).

Along the edge of base plate -5 that is oppositezto'the edge from which arm -6:projects are a pair of spaced arms 8 that extend at right angles to the platef5 and to thesame side of said plate as said arm 6. The arm 6'is disposed midway between the laterally projected area (across plate 5) of the space between arms 8 as best seen in Fig. 3.

The outer end 9 of arm 6 is preferablybent in direction away from the plate 5 so asto provide an'inclined cam surface'10. Upon forcing the handle '2' toward :base

plate 5 and between arm 6 and the pair of arms 8,'the' arm .6 will be moved laterally under the cam action of "the handle on surface 10 to spring arm 6 outwardly so'that the handle will move to a position in which one corner of the handle will fit in recess 7. The hand set will beyieldably, but firmly held against rotation about its longitudinal axis between the pair of arms 8 and arm 6 when the handle is in the position shown in Fig. l'and'bythe dot-dash lines2 in Fig. 2.

The hand set holding means above described-inpivotally-secured by a pivot 12 (Fig. 5) that extends through base plate 5 perpendicular to the latter and the bottom 13 of an inverted U-shaped bracket member 14Zfor swinging the said plate 5 (and hand set carried thereby) =about the axis of said pivot. Suitable friction washers=prevent free rotation of plate 5 relative to said bracket member, so that the hand set will stay at anypointin'its rotation about the axis of the pivot 12 until forceablyrotate'd by the operator against the resisance of 'said'friction'washers.

An elongated flat strip 15 is connected at one end with the bracket member 14 by a universal joint that-includes a block'16 horizontally pivoted to the bracketmember 14 by a horizontal pivot 17, and which block, in turn, :is pivotally secured to a pair of arms '18 by a horizontal pivot 19 that is at right angles to the pivot 17. Sai'd arms 18 are carried on the upper end portion 20 of"said=strip 15. The lower end portion 22 of said strip 15is"formed with a vertically elongated slot 22' (Fig. 2).

A screw 23 extends through slot 22, saidscrew being secured at one end to a breast plate 24 and *a tightening finger rotatable nut 25 on screw 23 is adapted to-tighten the strip 15 to the'breast plate so that said strip-will be secured to the breast plate against both rot-ation'of sa'id plate and strip relatively, and movement of the stripslongitudinally of the plate. An annular bosslo'f rubber or rubber like friction plastic material 27 is interposed between said breast plate and said strip-15 and-secured-'to said breast plate. A covering 29 of rubber or similar synthetic rubber covers the side of said plate'24 that 'is opposite to the strip 15. This covering is adapted to be positioned on the chest of a person Whenthe. hand set -is supported by the holder therefor.

At opposite sides of the screw 23 and strip 15==a're a pair of curved arms 30, each of which-is secured at o'ne of their corresponding ends to the plate- 24 equal distances from the screw 23 by means of pivot-s 32, which pivots may be tightened by means of the nuts-33 thereon 'or-iby any other suitable means so that the 'armswill stay -in any adjusted position. A friction "washer-"'34 'betweeme'ach arm and plate 24 will function to hold the arms at a certain desired tightness to plate 24 so that the arms may be swung about the pivots 33 against the resistance of the washers and will atuomatically stay in adjusted position until forceably moved to a different position.

The arms 30 are curved so that their concavely formed sides are lowermost and said latter sides will generally follow the cross sectional contours of the shoulders Of a person so that the said arms will comfortably rest on the shoulders with the plate 24 against the chest. The concavely curved lower sides of the arms may also be cov ered with rubber or synthetic rubber 35 that is formed with spaced ribs extending transversely thereacross so as to tend to prevent any slippage of the arms on the shoulders of the user, and, of course, this covering will add to the comfort of the user.

In actual practice, the device as described, when in position on a user, is ready for receiving a hand set, as-

. suming the arm 15 is adjusted to the proper position to fit any peculiarity or desires of the user. The pivot 23 and slot 22' permit virtually any position of the hand set holder itself relative to either ear of the person. The handle of the hand set may then quickly be snapped into the holder and turned (by reason of the universal joint) to the most comfortable position for use. The hands and head are left free for movement, and if desired, the user may even swing the arm 15 down to carry the hand set away from the face and to either side of the head if circumstances should require it. At no time is it necessary to move the arms 30 or breast plate. All adjustments and movements are easily and quickly made by reason of the various pivots and joints. Even arms 3% and arm 15 can be bent should some persons have physical characteristics that would require such bending, and the device would still function in the same manner as described.

When a conversation is completed, the hand set is easily slipped out of the holder and the supporting device may be swung forwardly to remove the arms 30 from the shoulders.

I claim:

. l. A support for holding a telephone hand set by its handle in operative position on the body of a person comprising: a pair of shoulder engaging arms having exten sions adapted to extend over the shoulders and downwardly over the chest of a person, holding means for releasably engaging and holding the handle of a hand set, a generally upwardly extending elongated member, means securing said holding means to the upper end of said member, means for securing the lower end of said member to said extensions, including a pivot supporting said lower end of said member for swinging its upper end and said holder laterally from a position adjacent to but spaced from one shoulder engaging arm of said pair to a position adjacent to but spaced from the other shoulder engaging arm of said pair and vice versa to enable said holding means to hold said hand set with its transmitter and receiver in operative position relative to the mouth and relative to one ear or the other of said person according to the side to which the holding means is swung.

2. A support for holding a telephone hand set by its handle in operative position on the body of a person comprising: a pair of shoulder engaging arms having extensions adapted to extend over the shoulders and downwardly over the chest of a person, holding means for releasably engaging and holding the handle of a hand set, a generally upwardly extending elongated member, means securing said holding means to the upper end of said member, means for securing the lower end of said member to said extensions, including a pivot supporting said lower end of said member for swinging its upper end and said holder laterally from a position adjacent to but spaced from one shoulder engaging arm of said pair to a position adjacent to but spaced from the other shoulder engaging arm of said pair and vice versa to enable said holding means to hold said hand set with its transmitter and receiver in operative position relative to the mouth and relative to one ear or the other of said person according to the side to which the holding means is swung, said means securing said holding means to the upper end of said member being a universal joint permitting rotation of said holding means about an axis and angular movement of said holding means to different positions relative to said axis.

3. A support for holding a telephone hand set by its handle in operative position on the body of a person comprising: a pair of shoulder engaging arms having extensions adapted to extend over the shoulders and downwardly over the chest of a person, holding means for releasably engaging and holding the handle of a hand set, a generally upwardly extending elongated member, means securing said holding means to the upper end of said member, means for securing the lower end of said member to said extensions, including a pivot supporting said lower end of said member for swinging its upper end and said holder laterally from a position adjacent to but spaced from one shoulder engaging arm of said pair to a position adjacent to but spaced from the other shoulder engaging arm of said pair and vice versa to enable said holding means to hold said hand set with its transmitter and receiver in operative position relative to the mouth and relative to one ear or the other of said person according to the side to which the holding means is swung, said means for securing the lower end of said member to said extensions further including an element and a pair of pivots respectively connecting said extensions to said element at horizontally spaced points with the pivot supporting the lower end of said member being midway between said pair of pivots.

4. A support for holding a telephone hand set by its handle in operative position on the body of a person comprising: a pair of curved arms having corresponding ends, said arms being adapted to extend over the shoulders of such person with said corresponding ends extending over the chest, holding means for releasably holding said handle, means carried by said ends of said arms and supporting said holding means for movement of the latter laterally from a position for supporting such hand set in operative position for one ear of such person to an operative position for the other ear and vice versa.

5. A support for holding a telephone hand set by its handle in operative position on the body of a person comprising: a pair of curved arms of corresponding shape and size and having corresponding ends, said arms being adapted to approximately fit over the shoulders of a person with said corresponding ends extending over the chest, a chest plate, means pivotally connecting said ends of said arms to said plate for swinging the said arms toward and away from each other, a holder for engaging and for releasably holding the handle of such hand piece, an upstanding elongated member pivotally connected at its lower end to said plate and extending upwardly therefrom, means securing said holder to the upper end of said member for universal movement of said holder.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,640,111 Samsky et al May 26, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 228,675 Great Britain Feb. 12, 1925 

